Cash carrier



Feb. 24, 1931. .1. L. BALDWIN CASH CARRIER Filed July 17, 1929 lit- 7 91; dated August 23, 1921. f.

Patented Feb. 24, 1931 wa es PATENT rains I JAMES L. BALDWIN, or CHICAGO, ILLINOIS CASH CARRIER Application filed July 17,

. My invention relates to apparatus employed in stores for the transportation of cash or parcels, and more particularly to the type of apparatus disclosed in my. Patent No. 1,388,-

A The mainobject of my present invention is to provide an apparatus wherein the elevator of the carriermay be locked in an elevated position ready to receive the carrier on its re turn, rather than possibly having the elevator return part way down the upright track, as may occur. in the apparatus of my patent aforesaid. e A further object of the improvement is to allow, the elevator a partial amount of travel along the curveleading to the overhead track, whereby to extend the impulse to the carrler along the line of the curve and thereby secure a better send-01f and more rapid travel.

Another object of the invention is to provide an automatic suspension device for. the elevator near the end of its impulse stroke.

An additional object; of the invention is to provide a coact'ingl mechanism between the carrier and the elevatorwhereby to release the. elevator for descent to the position or origin when the carrier returns, and interlocking means between the carrier and the elevator to prevent the carrier from bounding out of engagement with the elevator when both return to the sending station rapidly.

A significant object of the invention is to design a more simplified switch actuator.

- t A final but nevertheless important object of the invention is to construct the apparatus with few and sturdy parts which may perform their servicefor long periods without mishap or frequent attention. I V With the aboveobjects in view andany others that may suggest themselves from the specification and claims to follow, a better understanding of the invention may be had by reference to the accompanying drawing, in

' 4 which I Figure 1 is an elevation of the sending terminal of the apparatus, similar in some respects to Figure 1 in my patent referred to;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged elevation of the elevators for the carrier in their relative posi- 192:). Serial No. 379,027,

tions after they are started on their upward course; i

Fig. 3 is a detailed section on the line 33 of Figure 2; I I t Fig. 4 is a section'on the line 4-4 of Fig Fig. 5 is a section of the improved switch actuator, taken on the line 55 of Figure 1; and n Fig. 6 is another section of the same as taken on the line 6-6of Figure 5.

Referring, specifically to the drawing, the fundamental elements will be found to correspond with those in the patent. Thus, the table or stand at the sending terminal is do noted by 5, the guide wire by 6, the track wire by Get, the carrier by 7 the elevator by 8, the ceiling hanger by 9, the elevator traction wheels-by 10, thedrive belt by 17, the top pulley therefor by 18, the bottom pulley by 19, the motor by 20, the enlargement for {37116 belt by 21 and the motor switch unit As in the previous case, the actuation of n the switch to put the motor 20 in motion causes the belt 17 to travelin a direction to have the left-hand run in Figure 1 move downwardly and the right-hand move upwardly. In this connection, I inter-pose the elevator 8 in the right-hand run of the belt, severing the belt asshown in Figure 2 and securing the ends in clamps 37 carrying set screws 38. The clamps are bridged by a forked arm 39 whose ends are pivotally secured to the clamps by screws 40. The lower end of the arm 39 is plain, while the upper end thereof is fashioned on one side of a hook 39a. The arm 39 is secured to the frame bar 8a of the elevator 8 by the uvotal screw 40, so that the elevator will impel the righthand run of the belt 17 in either the upward or downward direction.

The carrier 7 is generally of the same design as in my patent, except that I will refer to an extension lug 7a and the traction wheel 76 later for a special purpose. For the lifting of the carrier, the elevator is formed with an upstanding bumper 41, which is cushioned as shown inFigure 2 to support a frame extension of the carrier and push the latter upwardly as the elevator rises. The elevator is further formed with a laterally extended fork 42 to receive the guide wire and guidev by means of the elevator not only to the be-v ginning of the curved extension but along'a portion of the same to secure a better send-off toward the overhead wire 6d; With this done, I intend the elevator to automatically become suspended and release the carrier.

for the continuation of travel alone. It will be seen'more particularly in Figure 2, that the hook 39a of the belt arm 39 acts as a check to prevent the carrier from becoming separated from the elevator while on the upright track. However, as the carrier, begins'tofnegotiate the curved: extension 6?), its tendency todraw the arm 39 with it will be resisted by the pulling action of the belt, which will swing the arm in a left hand direction about its pivotv'40 and thereby occasion the release of the'traction wheel '27) ofthe carrier-from the hook 39a, .p.ermitting the carr'ierto continue its motion alone. a

The arm 39 is designed to swing alongside the elevator frame 8a, and, opposite the arm the latter'carries a dog 43 mediallypivoted to the frame at 44. Normally, the upper part of thedogrests against a side lug 45 carried bythe arm 39, being press edagainst the lug by a torsion spring 46 mounted on the pivot screw 44 of the dog. The upper part of the latter extends somewhat beyond the lug 45 and is formed with a terminal recess 47, while the lower part of the dog is simply in the nature of a'short stem 43a.

When the action of sending and releasing a the carrier occurs, the departure of the arm 39 in a leftward direction as previously explained, also causes the lug 45 to slip beyond the underside of the dog.- As the lug reaches a position opposite the dog recess 47, the dog engages the lug by way of the recess, due to the continued pressure of the spring 46. As the carrier leaves the elevator, the last de scribed action between the frame portion of the elevator and the swingable portion 39 causes these parts to be maintained at an angle from each other as indicated bydotted lines in Figure 1, However, atthis stage of the operation, the obliquely directed arm 39 assumes a position with its spaced sides over the side edge 48a ofa ceiling bracket 48, this edge preventing the assembly of the elevator with the arm 39 from descending, especially as the elevator cannot move laterally due to its confinement between the guide wires 6 and 6a.

Incidentally, the ceiling, bracket, which is 1 back, its extension lug 7a wipes by the stem extension 43a of the dog 43, swinging the dog in a clockwise direction. "This action takes away the pressure from the arm 39 and permits the same to swing back to a position in line vwith the belt section 8a. As this'swing causes the arm .39. to clear the bracket edge 48, the elevator loses its support and must necessarily drop. The closing of theca rrier with the elevator just described'is calculated to nestle with track wheel7b of the carrier under the hook 39a of the arm 39 before the latter swings to normal position, the parts then assuming the position ofFigure 2 and descending in assembled relation.

It is thus seen I have provided a mechanism which operates automaticallyand in, a simple manner, taking the elevator to a high point out of the way while the carrier goes out on a trip. At the same time, the carrier without any extra mechanism :of its own quickly releases and interlocks with the ele vator for a joint descent of the assembly to the sending station. p I I it V In the improvement relating to the switch actuator, a simplified construction is noted more particularly in Figures 5'and 6. Thus,

the stationary jaw opposite the belt run 17 is indicated at 50, and the finger 30 is made in L fashion so as to be pivoted atj51 in its;

corner to the stationary jaw 50, theother arm of the finger being extended upwardly to actuate the movable jaw 52. This jaw receives a roller 53 in a position opposite the belt run '17. The action of the improved actuator is very simple. When the on switch button is pushed down, the off switch button rises and swings the movable jaw of the actuator toward the belt run.

This condition remains while the elevator and carrier ascend, and when the proper height of the elevator has been attained, the enlargement 21 carried by the belt run'17 crowds between the stationary aw- 50 and the movable jaw 52 of the actuator, causes the off button to be depressed and the power cut off. Thus, the actuator is reduced to but one major moving part and'one stationary part, and which employs no spring or delicate part.

I claim i 1. An article dispatching apparatus comprising a vertical track curvedly trained to assume an overhead horizontal course, a carrier adapted to travel upon said track, an

elevator operable up the track to lift the car rier, and means to automatically lock the elevator at a high point along the track.

2. An article dispatching apparatus comprising a vertical track curvedly trained to assume an overhead horizontal course, a caralong the curve.

rier'adapted to travel upon said track, an eleva'tor operable up the track and along the curve thereof to lift the carrier, and means to automatically lock the elevator ata point 3. Anarticle dis atchin a maratus comu l I e b L a arisin a vertlcal track curvedl trained to assume. an overhead horizontal course, a carrier adapted to travel upon said track, an elevator operable up the track and along the curve thereof to lift the carrier, means to aupath of the returning carrier when the do" ceive the abutment when the link is seated i and lock the latter from returning to normal position. i

11. The structure of claim 4, an abutment carried by the link, and a dog urged upon the abutment, said dog being recessed to, received the abutment when the link is seated and lock the latter from returning to normal position, said dog being pivotally carried by tomatically lock the elevator at a point along the curve, and co-acting means between the carrier and the elevator to automatically release the elevator for descent when the carrier' returns to the sending station.

4:. An article dispatching apparatus comprisinga track, a carrier operable thereon, an elevator for the carrier, power belt to propel the elevator, a link in an interruption of i the power belt, and an extension of the link tor, and a spring in connection with the cngageable with the carrier to retain the same in contact with the elevator, said link being pivoted to the elevator and adapted to be swung away from the latter when the carrier and the elevator depart from the course of the power belt whereby to release the carrier from the link extenslon, and a statlonary member to seat the link when the latter has swung to inclined position whereby to sup portthe elevator.

5. The structure of claim 4, an abutment carried by the link, and a dog urged upon the abutment, said dog being recessed to receive the abutment when the link is seated and lock the latter from returning to normal position; said dog being'carried by the elevator.

6. The structure of claim 4, an abutment carried by the link, and a dog urged upon the abutment, said dog being recessed to receive the abutment when the link is seated and lock the latter from returning to normal position, said dog being pivotally carried by the elevator.

7. The structure of claim 4:, an abutment carried by the link, and a dog urged upon the abutment, said dog being recessed to receive the abutment when the link is seated and lock the latter from returning to normal position, said dog being pivotally carried by the elevapivot to urge the dog as mentioned.

8. The structure of claim 4, and means to lock the link as seated.

9. The structure of claim l, said stationary member being a beveled hanger.

10. The structure of claim 4:, an abutment carried by the link, and a dog urged upon the abutment, said dog being recessed to re- 

